Improvements in Offshore Oil Rigs after Deepwater Horizon

08 Jul 16

posted by
Arnold & Itkin LLP

In April 2010, the world witnessed one of the worst
oil rig explosions in the industry’s history. 11 workers died in the accident, and
many others were injured. The environment was drastically affected as
well, leading to billions in economic losses for the maritime industry.
Multiple equipment failures resulted in millions of barrels of oil being
leaked into the Gulf of Mexico. Although extensive efforts were made in
the cleanup, the impact of the leak on marine life, plant life, and animal
life was far-reaching. Since the disaster, changes and improvements have
been made in many oil rigs in the hopes of preventing a similar catastrophe
in the future.

Improved Wells

A failed well was one of the factors leading to the
Deepwater Horizon disaster. Cement sealing that lined the hole in the ocean floor and secured
the pipe from the rig in place was not strong enough to withstand the
pressure and ultimately failed. As a result, there was a blowout that
led to a massive explosion and oil spill.

To prevent this from happening again, federal regulations require an engineer
to certify the ability of the cement to function correctly in the extreme
environment of the deep sea. BP, the company responsible for the Deepwater
Horizon event, further promised to test the cement with a BP engineer
or third-party inspector.

Better Blowout Preventer

A blowout preventer (BOP) is a device that is used to cut off the flow
of gas and oil before it rushes too quickly up the pipe inside the oil
rig. In the Deepwater Horizon explosion, the BOP malfunctioned and wasn’t
able to prevent oil and gas flow. The BOP is equipped with a shear ram
that cuts into the pipe and shuts off flow in the event of an emergency
or sudden leak.

Federal regulation now requires improved documentation that BOPs are running
and operating crew members are thoroughly trained. Additionally, the BOPs
are now outfitted with a more powerful pair of shears. With two shears
instead of one, new BOPs have built-in redundancy and are more effective.

More Robotic Training

Drilling companies have used robots for decades. Most of these remotely
operated vehicles (ROVs) accomplish tasks from closing valves and turning
bolts to lifting equipment and transmitting video to the oil rig’s
control rooms. Often, oil rigs have multiple ROVs working on different
tasks. In the Deepwater Horizon disaster, ROVs worked on various emergency
and relief tasks.

Now, federal regulations mandate that each oil rig has its own ROV and
that crew members are thoroughly trained in its operation and what to
do in case of an emergency. In addition, the ROVs should now be able to
close the shear rams and shut off a pipe in case of another emergency
like Deepwater Horizon. Testing is currently underway to ensure the robots
can operate the BOP.

Improved Disaster Prevention / Preparation

Because the Deepwater Horizon disaster happened so quickly, engineers and
those handling the emergency were forced to design and improvise in the
moment. In the heat of the moment, robots were used in ways they had not
been before, and new techniques were invented for handling the problem.

As a result of their innovation, emergency technology has improved and
is better streamlined to handle catastrophes of that magnitude. Major
oil drillers have also come together to create the Marine Well Containment
Company, a company with the goal of producing better systems to control blowouts.

Better Oil Control Technology

After the oil spill, BP was forced to use every method imaginable to attempt
to contain and remove oil from the water and the shoreline. Ships skimmed
oil from the surface, burned the oil slick in open water, and even used
chemicals to break up the oil in the water. However, the side effects
of these methods are unknown.

Since Deepwater Horizon, better methods are available for tracking oil
spills and better programs in place for containing oil if another disaster
like this happens again. Many are concerned however that containment methods
such as burning or chemical dispersants are also harmful to the environment.

To learn more about Arnold & Itkin’s part in the Deepwater Horizon
disaster and to begin a
free case evaluation with our firm, contact us today!

Quick Links

Follow Us

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

The verdicts and settlements listed on this site are intended to be representative
of cases handled by Arnold & Itkin LLP. These listings are not a guarantee
or prediction of the outcome of any other claims